Apparatus and methods for pill management

ABSTRACT

A pill management apparatus and related methods are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the pill management apparatus may include a housing with a disc rotatably received therein. The disc may be divided into a plurality of compartments, and a compartment of the plurality of compartments may be in communication with the passage. A gate may be slideably disposed about the passage and positionable between a closed position, wherein the gate generally seals the passage, and an open position, wherein the gate unseals the passage sufficiently to dispense a pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough. The gate cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position, in various aspects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field

The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for the management of pills

2. Background of the Related Art

A user may self administer one or more pills during the course of a day. The one or more pills may be delivered in various combinations at various times. The user may be in a public setting such as an office, an airliner, or other such public setting and may wish some privacy with respect to the administration of the pill(s). Accordingly, there is a need for apparatus and methods for the administration of various combinations of pills at various times to the user.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other needs and disadvantages are overcome by the methods disclosed herein. Additional improvements and advantages may be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of the present disclosure.

A pill management apparatus is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the pill management apparatus includes a housing that defines a chamber, an exterior, and a passage therebetween. A disc may be rotatably received within the chamber, and the disc may be divided into a plurality of compartments. A compartment of the plurality of compartments may be in communication with the passage. A gate may be disposed about the passage, and the gate may be positionable between a closed position, wherein the gate generally seals the passage, and an open position, wherein the gate unseals the passage sufficient to dispense a pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough. The gate, in various aspects, cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances to alter the compartment in communication with the passage as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.

Methods for managing pills are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the methods may include the steps of positioning a gate from a closed position to an open position thereby unsealing a passage through a housing between a chamber therein and an exterior thereof, advancing a disc rotatably secured within the chamber such that a compartment containing a pill is communicating with the passage by positioning the gate from the closed position to the open position, and dispensing the pill through the unsealed passage. In various aspects, the methods may include the step of exchanging the disc secured rotatably within the chamber with a replacement disc and the replacement disc may have pills pre-loaded therein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates by perspective view an exemplary implementation of portions of a pill management apparatus;

FIG. 2 illustrates by perspective view the exemplary pill management apparatus of FIG. 1 further including a docking station;

FIG. 3A illustrates by perspective view portions of the exemplary pill management apparatus of FIG. 1 including a gate positioned in the closed position;

FIG. 3B illustrates by perspective view portions of the exemplary pill management apparatus of FIG. 1 including the gate positioned in the open position;

FIG. 4 illustrates by perspective view portions of the exemplary pill management apparatus of FIG. 1 including a cam in mechanical cooperation with a disc;

FIG. 5A illustrates by perspective view portions of the exemplary pill management apparatus of FIG. 1 including an axle;

FIG. 5B illustrates by cross-sectional view exemplary portions of a disc configured to engage with portions of the axle illustrated in FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 illustrates by perspective view portions of the exemplary pill management apparatus of FIG. 1 including a funnel;

FIG. 7A illustrates by top view an exemplary implementation of a disc; and

FIG. 7B illustrates by top view another exemplary implementation of a disc.

The Figures are exemplary only and the implementations illustrated therein are selected to facilitate explanation. The number, position, relationship and dimensions of the elements shown in the Figures to form the various implementations described herein, as well as dimensions and dimensional proportions to conform to specific force, weight, strength, flow and similar requirements are explained herein or are understandable to a person of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. Where used in the various Figures, the same numerals designate the same or similar elements. Furthermore, when the terms “top,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “forward,” “rear,” “first,” “second,” “inside,” “outside,” and similar terms are used, the terms should be understood in reference to the orientation of the implementations shown in the drawings and are utilized to facilitate description thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus and methods for pill management are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the pill management apparatus includes a disc rotatably secured within a housing. The disc may be divided into a number of compartments. One or more pills may be placed in the compartment(s), and the one or more pills may be allocated among the compartment(s) as desired by the user. A passage may be formed through the housing, and a gate may be positioned about the passage. The gate may be positionable between a closed position wherein the passage is generally covered by the gate, and an open position wherein the passage is uncovered sufficiently to allow the dispensation of one or more pills through the passage from the compartment in communication with the passage. The gate cooperates mechanically with the disc so that the disc is advanced by rotation to change the compartment in communication with the passage as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position to allow dispensation of pill(s) within the various compartments of the disc.

In various aspects, the disc may be provided with pill(s) included within the compartments. The disc may be removable from the housing so that, when the pills included in the disc are exhausted, the disc may be removed and another disc having pill(s) included within the compartments may be placed within the housing.

In various aspects, the pill management apparatus may include a docking station formed to removeably dock with the housing. The docking station may stabilize the housing as pill(s) are placed in the compartment(s). The docking station may include one or more receptacles formed to removeably receive a pill bottle. The docking station may include a tray upon which pills may be manipulated. In various aspects the pill management apparatus includes a funnel that cooperates with the disc to distribute pills into the compartments of the disc. In various aspects the housing may be formed to generally appear as an electronic device such as a cell phone or a recording device so that a user may discretely dispense a pill therefrom.

Associated methods for pill management are disclosed herein. In various aspects the methods may include the step of placing a pill into a compartment of a rotatable disc with the disc received within an interior of a housing. The methods may include the steps of positioning a gate from a closed position to an open position thereby uncovering a passage through the housing following the step of placing a pill into a compartment of a rotatable disc, advancing the rotatable disc such that the compartment is communicating with the passage by positioning the gate from the closed position to the open position, and dispensing the pill through the passage upon uncovering the passage.

The methods may include a vendor providing the disc with pill(s) included within the compartments thereof. The methods may include removing the disc from the housing upon exhausting the pills included therein and placing another disc having pill(s) included within the compartments thereof within the housing.

Pill, as used herein, includes a medicament in a generally solid form or encased within a substantially solid material. The pill may be ingested orally in order to administer the medicament. The pill may form a unitary dose of the medicament in various aspects.

The Figures referenced herein generally illustrate various exemplary implementations of the pill management apparatus and associated methods. These illustrated implementations are not meant to limit the scope of coverage, but, instead, to assist in understanding the context of the language used in this specification and in the claims. Accordingly, variations of the pill management apparatus and associated methods that differ from these illustrated implementations may be encompassed by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 illustrates an implementation of portions of a pill management apparatus 10. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the pill management apparatus 10 includes a housing 20. The housing 20 defines an exterior surface 21 and an interior surface 23, and the interior surface 23 generally defines a chamber 25, as illustrated. The housing 20, in this implementation, includes a cover 43 hingedly secured to a base 41. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the cover 43 is positioned in a closed cover position 45 such that chamber 25 is substantially enclosed by the cover 43 and the base 41. With the cover 43 in the closed cover position 45, contents disposed within the chamber 25 may be generally retained within the chamber 25.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, a disc 50 is rotatably secured within the chamber 25. Side 51 of disc 50 is configured to form compartment(s) 55 such as compartments 55.1-55.6 in this implementation, and pill(s) 400 may be distributed amongst the compartments 55.1-55.6. In various implementations, the disc 50 may be removably received within the chamber 25 so that disc 50 may be interchanged with a differing discs such as discs 150, 250 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B) adapted to accommodate various sizes/combinations of pills and/or frequency of delivery.

A gate 30 is located about the housing 20, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The gate 30, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is positioned in the closed position 32 to generally seal passage 60 that extends through the housing 20 between the exterior surface 21 and the interior surface 23. The passage 60 generally communicates between the chamber 25 and exterior 415. In the closed position 32, gate 30 seals passage 60 sufficiently to retain pills 400 and/or other objects within chamber 25.

The disc 50 is aligned with the passage 60 such that passage 60 communicates with one of compartments 55.1-55.6. Gate 30 is operatively coupled with the disc 50 such that, when gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34 (see FIG. 3B) disc 50 rotates such that a successive compartment selected from compartments 55.1-55.6 is aligned in communication with passage 60. With the gate 30 positioned in the open position 34, a pill such as pill 400 may be delivered through the passage 60 from the compartment in communication with the passage generally to the exterior 415. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, compartment 55.6 is in communication with passage 60, which is shown sealed by gate 30. By positioning gate 30 from the closed position 32 to the open position 34 (see FIGS. 3A and 3B), disc 50 is advanced by rotation so that compartment 55.5 is aligned in communication with passage 60, and pill 400 may be delivered from compartment 55.5 through passage 60 to the exterior 415.

In various implementations, the housing 20, including base 41 and cover 43, and the disc 50 may be formed from plastic such as metal, and/or other material(s) and combinations thereof, as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure. In various implementations, at least portions of the housing 20, including base 41 and cover 43, and the disc 50 may be formed from generally transparent material(s) to allow a user to view the contents of the chamber 25 of the housing 20 including pill(s) 400, if any, located therein. Various colors and combinations of colors may be incorporated into the housing, the disc, and so forth in various implementations.

FIG. 2 illustrates the housing 20 received in a docking station 70 with at least portions of the exterior surface 21 of housing 20 generally biased against portions of docking station 70. As illustrated in FIG. 2, cover 43 is positioned in the open cover position 47 to expose the interior 23 of the housing 20 including disc 50 in order to allow placement of one or more pills 400 therein. The cover 43 is hingedly secured to base 41 by hinges 49 (see FIG. 6) that allows cover 43 to be positioned between the closed cover position 45 and the open cover position 47. A latch (not shown) may be provided about the cover 43 to releasably secure the cover 43 in the closed cover position 45.

The docking station 70 may generally stabilize the housing 20 to facilitate placement of one or more pills 400 within compartments 55.1-55.6 of the disc 50. As illustrated pills 400 are allocated within compartments 55.1-55.6 of disc 50 for later distribution. The pills 400 may be of similar or of different medicaments and/or dosages, and the pills 400 may be allocated amongst compartments 55.1-55.6 according to order of distribution, timing of distribution, dosage, and so forth, as may be desired by the user. As illustrated, a portion of interior 23 of housing 20 is formed as a storage compartment 73, for example, for the storage of various medical supplies such as additional pills 400, testing strips, and so forth.

As illustrated, the docking station 70 includes receptacles 64.1-64.4 formed to removably securably receive pill bottles 410.1-410.4, respectively, to generally prevent spillage of the contents thereof during manipulation of the contents by the user. In other implementations, receptacles 64 may be of varying sizes in order to receive pill bottles 410 of varying sizes, and the number of receptacles 64 may range from one to several.

Docking station 70, in this illustrated implementation, includes tray 62 that forms a generally horizontal planar surface upon which pill(s) 400 may be sorted, counted, separated, and otherwise manipulated by the user. The user may sort, count, separate, and otherwise manipulate pills 400 upon tray 62 preparatory to distribution of the pill(s) 400 into compartment(s) 55 of disc 50. In some implementations, the tray 62 may be generally integral with the docking station 70, while, in other implementations, the tray 62 may be removeable from the docking station 70.

FIG. 3A illustrates portions of the pill management apparatus 10 with gate 30 in the closed position 32, wherein the gate 30 generally seals the passage 60. The gate 30 is illustrated in the open position 34 in FIG. 3B. With gate 30 in the open position 34, passage 60 is unsealed sufficiently to dispense pill 400 from a compartment such as compartment 55.5 within chamber 25 to the exterior 21 therethrough.

This implementation of gate 30 includes projection 37 adapted to allow a user to engage the gate 30 with, for example, a finger, in order to position the gate 30 between the closed position 32 and the open position 34. Projection 37 projects generally outward beyond the housing 20 in this implementation and may serve to limit the traversal of the gate 30 thereby defining the closed position 32 and the open position 34. The gate 30 slides into cleft 35, as illustrated, as the gate 30 is positioned slideably from the closed position 32 into the open position 34. Various grooves and suchlike may be provided in the housing 20 about the cleft 35 to support and/or guide the gate 30 as the gate 30 is positioned between the closed position 32 and the open position 34.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B, gate 30 cooperates with spring 80 via cam 160 so that spring 80 positions gate 30 from the open position 34 into the closed position 32. As illustrated, cam 160 is rotatably secured about axle 90. Legs 161, 163 of cam 160 extend to gate 30 and are secured thereto, so that gate 30 moves rotationally about axle and cam 160 rotates about axle 90 as gate 30 is positioned between the closed position 32 and the open position 34. Spring 80 is positioned such that portions of spring 80 are biased against post 89 and portions of spring 80 are in biased engagement with cam head 165 portion of cam 160. Spring end 81 of spring 80 is secured in fixed engagement with housing 20, and spring end 83 lies free. Spring 80 is in relaxed spring position 82, and the gate 30 is in the closed position 32, as illustrated in FIG. 3A.

As illustrated in FIG. 3B, gate 30 is positioned in the open position 34 to unseal passage 60. In the open position 34, gate 30 and cam 160, which is engaged with gate 30, have rotated about axle 90 so that gate 30 is generally received within cleft 35. With the gate 30 in the open position 34, spring 80 has been pushed from the relaxed position 82 into tensioned position 84 by cam head 165 of cam 160.

Accordingly, in this implementation, spring 80 lies in relaxed spring position 82 when gate 30 in closed position 32. When gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34 cam 160 rotates about axle 90 such that spring 80 is pushed by cam head 165 of cam 160, as generally indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3A, into the tensioned spring position 84. Accordingly, the spring 80 is placed in tension as the gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34.

The gate 30 may be held in the open position 34 by, for example, engagement with a finger of a user about projection 37. When the gage 30 in open position 34 is released from engagement with the finger of the user, the spring 80 in tensioned spring position 84 relaxes from tensioned position 84 into relaxed position 82. As the spring 80 relaxes from tensioned position 84 into relaxed position 82, spring 80 pushes on cam head 165 of cam 160 generally in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 3B thereby causing cam 160 to rotate about axle 90 to position the gate 30 from the open position 34 into the closed position 32.

Gate 30 cooperates with disc 50 via cam 160 to advance the disc 50 by rotating the disc 50 about axle 90 as gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 into the open position 34, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Cam 160 rotates about axle 90 as gate 30 is positioned between the closed position 32 and the open position 34, and arm 167 of cam 160 engages tooth 89 located upon side 53 of disc 50 to rotate disc 150. Tooth 89 defines tooth surface 383 that is generally perpendicular to side 53 of disc 50 and tooth 89 defines tooth surface 381 that is sloped at less than a right angle with respect to side 53 of disc 50 so that tooth 89 has generally a wedge shape in this implementation. Teeth 89 are disposed about side 53 of disc 50 and oriented such that arm 167 engages with tooth surface 381 of tooth 89 thereby causing the disc to rotate as the gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 into the open position 34. The teeth 89 are oriented such that as the gate 30 is positioned from the open position 34 to the closed position 32, arm 167 slides over surface 381 of tooth 389 in such a way that arm 167 is generally disengaged from tooth 89 and thus does not cause disc 50 to rotate about axle 90.

Thus, disc 50 cooperates with gate 30 through cam 160 such that disc 50 advances by rotation about axle 90 as gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34 in the illustrated implementation. A number of teeth 89 may be located about side 53 of disc 50 to cooperate with cam 160 and gate 30, and the teeth 89 may be located so that the disc 50 is advanced such that successive compartments of compartments such as compartments 55.1-55.6 communicate with passage 60 as the gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34. In various implementations, the disc 50 may advance in the clockwise direction about axle 90 and be prevented from rotating in the counterclockwise direction about axle 90 or visa versa, and gate 30 and cam 160 may cooperate with one another and with the disc 50 accordingly.

In other implementations (not shown) the gate 30 may mechanically cooperate with the disc 50 in other ways recognizable to those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure so that the disc 50 is advanced such that successive compartments of compartments such as compartments 55.1-55.6 communicate with passage 60 as the gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34. In other implementations (not shown), the gate 30 may be electromechanically operated so that the user actuates, for example, a switch that electromechanically cooperates with the gate 30 to cause the gate 30 to change position between the closed position 32 and the open position 34. The switch may electromechanically cooperate with the disc 50 to cause the disc 50 to advance as the button is actuated so that the disc 50 is advanced in synchronization with the gate 30.

As illustrated in FIG. 5A, axle 90 extends forth from interior surface 23 of housing 20, and axle 90 is fixed with respect to housing 20. Axle 90 includes axle segment 95, which is generally proximate interior surface 23 of housing 20. Axle segment 95 is sized to pass through cam sleeve 169 in order to rotatably receive cam 160 thereupon. Accordingly, cam 160 may freely rotate about axle segment 95 of axle 90.

Axle segment 195 is set above axle segment 95, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, and axle segment 195 is generally sized to receive disc sleeve 59 of disc 50 in order to rotatably receive disc 50 thereupon. Accordingly, disc 50 may rotates about axle segment 195 of axle 90. Cam 160, which rotates about axle segment 95 of axle 90, is interposed between disc 50 and interior surface 23 of housing 20 in this implementation.

Axle 90, in this implementation, includes gear 92 formed between axle segment 95 and axle segment 195, and, thus, between cam 160 and disc 50. Gear 92 is formed from a portion of axle segment 95. Gear 92 is formed to engage with a complementary gear 192 positioned about disc 50, which is illustrated in FIG. 5B. Gear 192 is formed about disc sleeve 59 of disc 50, as illustrated. In the implementation illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, gear teeth 93 of gear 92 and complementary gear teeth 193 of gear 192 are shaped to intermesh in order to allow disc 50 to rotate about axle 90 as the cam 160 is rotated about axle 90 by positioning of gate 30 from the closed position 32 into the open position 34, and to generally prevents disc 50 from rotating about axle 90 as the cam 160 is rotated about axle 90 by positioning of the gate 30 from the open position 34 into the closed position 32. Accordingly, disc 50, in this implementation, advances by rotation about axle 90 only as gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34 and does not rotate about axle 90 as gate 30 is positioned from the open position 34 into the closed position 32. In this implementation, gear teeth 193 of gear 192 and gear teeth 93 of gear 92 are shaped to engage one another such that disc 50 rotates in the counterclockwise direction about axle 90. This may be reversed in other implementations so that the disc such as disc 50 is advanced by rotation in the clockwise direction.

In some implementations, disc 50 may be fixed to axle 90 and the axle rotatably engaged with the housing. Gear teeth 93 may be otherwise configured about axle 90 and/or other mechanisms may be provided in other implementations to allow the disc 50 to rotate in one direction while generally preventing rotation of the disc 50 in the opposing direction as the gate 30 is positioned from the closed position 32 to the open position 34, as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art upon study of this disclosure.

Axle 90, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, includes axle portion 295, which terminates with clasp 297. Axle portion 295 extends through disc sleeve 59 of disc 50 and hole 299 (see FIGS. 2 & 6) in cover 43 when the cover 43 is positioned in a closed cover position 45. With the cover 43 in the closed cover position 45, clasp 297 may frictionally engage portions of cover 43 proximate hose 299 to secure the cover 43 in the closed cover position 45 to the base 41. Axle portion 297 is generally flexible to allow the clasp to be engaged or disengaged with the cover 43 in order to allow the user to position the cover 43 between the closed cover position 45 and the open cover position 47.

FIG. 6 illustrates funnel 120 that cooperates with disc 50 to allow the user to place pills 400 within compartments 50.1-50.6 of disc 50. In this implementation, the housing 20 is secured in the docking station 70, and the cover 43 is positioned in the open cover position 47. A funnel holder 110 is place upon portions of the interior surface 23 of housing 20 generally above disc 50 (not shown in FIG. 6). The funnel holder 110 may include feet 112, and feet 112, including various posts, tabs, and similar, may engage with the housing 20 to hold the funnel holder 100 in position with respect to the disc 50.

As illustrated, a funnel 120 is placed within the funnel holder 110. The funnel 120 forms funnel passages 122.1-122.6, and the funnel 120 in combination with the funnel holder 110 may be placed such that funnel passages 122.1-122.6 communicate with compartments 55.1-55.6 of disc 50, respectively. Funnel passages 122.1-122.6 are formed to distribute pills into compartments 55.1-55.6 in this implementation. With the funnel passages 122.1-122.6 aligned in communication with compartments 55.1-55.6, the user may place pill(s) 400 into compartments 55.1-55.6 by placing the pill(s) 400 into the corresponding funnel passage of funnel passages 122.1-122.6.

In other implementations, the funnel holder 110 may be attached to the housing 20 and/or disc 50 in other ways, or may rest upon portions of housing 20 and/or disc 50 without attachment thereto. In the illustrated implementation, funnel 120 and funnel holder 110 are separable pieces. In other implementations, the funnel 120 and funnel holder 110 may be formed as a generally singular piece. In other implementations, the funnel 120 may be positionable about the disc 50 without the funnel holder 110. The funnel 120 may have more or fewer funnel passages 122 to correspond to a disc such as discs 150, 250 having more or fewer compartments such as compartments 155.1-155.8, 255.1-255.4 in various other implementations (see FIGS. 7A, 7B). The funnel 120 and/or funnel holder 110 may be formed of plastic, metal, and/or other suitable material(s) in various implementations.

FIG. 7A illustrates disc 150 having eight compartments 155.1-155.8. FIG. 7B illustrates disc 250 having four compartments 255.1-255.4. Disc 150, disc 250, and disc 50 are interchangeable with one another within housing 20 and may be selected for placement within housing 20 of pill management apparatus 10 to accommodate a particular pill size, dosing schedule, a particular quantity of pills, or otherwise selected based on the requirements of the user and/or the particular pill(s). Other numbers of compartments and/or other disc sizes or compartment sizes and/or compartment geometries may be provided in other implementations.

In various aspects, the disc, such as disc 50, 150, 250, may be provided with pill(s), such as pills 400, pre-loaded within the compartments. For example, a vendor such as a pharmaceutical manufacturer or pharmaceutical supplier may distribute pills pore-loaded into the disc to the user. The disc may be removable from axle 90 the housing so that, when the pills pre-loaded in the disc are exhausted, the disc may be removed from the housing 20 and exchanged with a replacement disc having pill(s) pre-loaded within the compartments thereof by engagement of the replacement disc with axle 90 within housing 20. Various discs may be provided with various pills or combinations of pills pre-loaded therein, and the discs may be exchanged with one another as the pills preloaded therein are exhausted or as desired by the user.

In operation, a housing such as housing 20 may be placed in a docking station such as docking station 70. A chamber, such as chamber 25, within the housing may be accessed to allow a user to place pill(s) such as pill(s) 400 within compartments such as compartments 55.1-55.6, 155.1-155.8, 255.1-255.4 of a disc such as disc 50, 150, 250 rotatably secured within the chamber. One or more pill bottles such as pill bottle 410 may be placed in receptacle(s) such as receptacle 64 to prevent spillage. Pill(s) may be variously manipulated on tray portion of the docking station such as tray 62, and said manipulation may be generally in conjunction with the placement of the pills within the compartments.

The interior of the chamber may be accessed in some aspects by positioning a cover such as cover 43 from a closed cover position such as closed cover position 45 into an open cover position such as open cover position 47. In various aspects, a funnel such as funnel 120 may be positioned about the disc and pills may be distributed into the compartment(s) of the disc using the funnel such as funnel 120. In order to distribute pill(s) into the compartment(s) of the disc, the funnel may be positioned about the disc using a funnel holder such as funnel holder 110. After distributing the pill(s) into the compartment(s) of the disc, the funnel, if any, may be removed, and the chamber of the housing enclosed, for example, by positioning the cover from the open cover position into the closed cover position. The housing may be removed from the dock. The user may, for example, place the housing in a pocket, briefcase, or purse in order to carry the housing about.

When the user desires to ingest pill(s), the user may position the gate such as gate 30 from the closed position such as closed position 32 into the open position 34. Pill(s) may then pass from the compartment in communication with a passage such as passage 60 to the exterior (i.e. exterior 415) where the pill(s) may be apprehended by the user and ingested. The gate may include a projection such as projection 37, and the user may engage the gate at least in part using the projection in order to position the gate between the closed position and the open position. In some aspects the gate is slideably positioned between the closed position and the open position. In other aspects, the gate may be hinged, and, thus, the gate may be hingedly positioned between the closed position and the open position.

Upon withdrawing pill(s) from the compartment, the user may allow the gate to return from the open position to the closed position to secure the remaining pill(s), if any, within the chamber. In various aspects, the housing may generally appear as a cell phone or other electronic device so that the user may discretely withdraw pill(s) from the housing and ingest the same.

A spring such as spring 80 may mechanically cooperate with the gate to generally provide maintain the gate in the closed position, and the user places the spring in tension as the user positions the gate from the closed position into the open position. The spring is tensioned by placing the gate in the open position, and the tension in the spring may cause the gate to move from the open position to the closed position, for example when the gate is released from engagement with the finger(s) of the user.

The disc, in various aspects, is rotationally mounted upon an axle such as axle 90. The disc may be formed to engage with a gear such as gear 92 that is formed as a portion of axle 90, and gear 92 may be formed to interact with the disc in such a way as to allow the disc to rotate in one direction and prevent the disc from rotating in the opposite direction. The disc may mechanically cooperate with the gate such that, when the gate is positioned from the closed position into the open position, the disc advances by rotation about the axle so that a succeeding compartment of the disc communicates with the passage. Accordingly, by continued opening and closing of the gate, successive compartments of the disc are brought into communication with the passage so that pill(s) may be withdrawn therefrom.

A cam such as cam 160 may cooperate with the gate and cooperate with the disc so that positioning the gate from the closed position to the open position causes the cam to engage the disc and thereby cause the disc to advance such that a succeeding compartment communicates with the passage. In various aspects, teeth, such as teeth 89, may be provided about a side of the disc, for example side 53 of disc 50. The cam may engage the teeth to cause the disc to advance as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position. The disc may rotate about an axle such as axle 90 in various aspects, and various gears such as gear 92 may be located about the axle and engage with the disc in such a way as to allow the disc to advance by rotation in one direction while generally preventing rotation of the disc in the opposite direction.

The methods may include providing the disc with pill(s) included within the compartments thereof. The vendor may provide the disc with the pills pre-loaded within the compartments thereof to the user, and the user may be in possession of a plurality of discs each having a supply of pills pre-loaded therein. The disc with the supply of pills pre-loaded therein may be packaged in various ways, the packaging may retain the pills within the compartments, and at least portions of the packaging may be removed by the user prior to delivery of a pill to the user from the disc. The methods may include exchanging the disc with pills pre-loaded by the vendor therein with a replacement disc and the replacement disc may have pills pre-loaded by the vendor therein. The methods may include exchanging the disc with pills pre-loaded by the vendor therein with the replacement disc with pills preloaded by the vendor therein by removing the disc from engagement with the axle, and, hence, from the housing upon exhausting the pills pre-loaded by the vendor therein, and subsequently engaging the replacement disc having pill(s) preloaded by the vendor therein with the axle. The methods may include removing at least a portion of the packaging from the disc thereby allowing access to the pills within the compartments thereof. The disc may be generally disposable, and the user may dispose of the disc upon exhaustion of the supply of pills included therein, in various implementations. Alternatively, in some implementations, the disc may be returned to the vendor so that the vendor may pre-load pills into the disc.

The foregoing along with the accompanying Figures discloses and describes various exemplary implementations. Upon study thereof, one of ordinary skill in the art may readily recognize that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. 

1. A pill management apparatus, comprising: a housing that defines a chamber, an exterior, and a passage therebetween; a disc rotatably received within the chamber, the disc divided into a plurality of compartments, a compartment of the plurality of compartments in communication with the passage; and, a gate disposed about the passage, the gate positionable between a closed position wherein the gate generally seals the passage and an open position wherein the gate unseals the passage sufficient to dispense a pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough, the gate cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances to alter the compartment in communication with the passage as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.
 2. The apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises: a base; and a cover, the cover positionable between a closed cover position and an open cover position, with the cover positioned in the closed cover position the chamber is substantially enclosed, with the cover positioned in the open cover position the chamber is revealed to allow placement of one or more pills within the one or more compartments.
 3. The apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein the disc as provided by a vendor to a user is pre-loaded with pills.
 4. The apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising: a base; and a cover, the cover positionable between a closed cover position and an open cover position, with the cover positioned in the closed cover position the chamber is substantially enclosed, with the cover positioned in the open cover position the chamber is revealed to allow an exchange of the disc received therein.
 5. The apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising: a docking station, the docking station adapted to removeably receive the housing, the docking station includes a sorting tray for the manipulation of pills thereupon, the docking station includes a receptacle adapted to removeably receive a pill bottle.
 6. The apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising; a funnel adapted to cooperate with the disc to distribute pills into the plurality of compartments.
 7. The apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising: an axle disposed within the housing, the disc is rotatably received upon the axle; and a gear disposed about the axle to engage the disc, the gear adapted to allow the disc to advance in a rotational direction and generally prevent the disc from rotating in an opposite rotational direction.
 8. The apparatus, as in claim 1, further comprising: a cam in mechanical cooperation with the gate and the disc such that the cam advances the disc as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.
 9. The apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the housing is formed of a generally transparent material to allow a user to view one or more pills located within the chamber.
 10. The apparatus, as in claim 1, wherein the gate is adapted to be positioned from the closed position to the open position by a finger of a user.
 11. A pill management apparatus, comprising: a base; a cover, the cover cooperates with the base to form a housing with a chamber and an exterior, the cover is positionable between a closed cover position and an open cover position; the chamber is substantially enclosed with the cover positioned in the closed cover position, the interior is generally revealed with the cover positioned in the open cover position; a passage that extends between the chamber and the exterior; a disc rotatably received within the chamber, the disc defines a compartment to contain a pill, the compartment is in communication with the passage; and, a gate slideably disposed about the passage, the gate positionable between a closed position and an open position, the gate positioned in the closed position generally seals the passage, the gate positioned in the open position unseals the passage to dispense the pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough, the gate cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.
 12. The apparatus, as in claim 11, further comprising: a docking station, the docking station adapted to removeably receive the housing, the docking station includes a sorting tray for the manipulation of pills thereupon, the docking station includes a receptacle adapted to removeably receive a pill bottle.
 13. A method for managing pills, comprising the steps of: positioning a gate from a closed position to an open position thereby unsealing a passage through a housing between a chamber therein and an exterior thereof; advancing a disc rotatably secured within the chamber such that a compartment containing a pill is communicating with the passage by positioning the gate from the closed position to the open position; and dispensing the pill through the unsealed passage.
 14. The method, as in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position thereby revealing the chamber; and placing a pill into a compartment of the disc following the step of positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position.
 15. The method, as in claim 14, further comprising the step of: docking the housing in a docking station prior to the step of placing a pill into a compartment of the disc.
 16. The method, as in claim 15, further comprising the step of: removing the housing from the docking station prior to the step of dispensing the pill through the unsealed passage.
 17. The method, as in claim 15, further comprising the steps of: receiving a pill bottle containing the pill in a receptacle of a docking station; and sorting pills on a tray portion of the docking station.
 18. The method, as in claim 14, wherein the step of placing a pill into a compartment of the disc is accomplished using a funnel adapted to engage the disk and adapted to distribute pills into compartments of the disc.
 19. The method, as in claim 13, wherein the disc is pre-loaded with pills by at vendor.
 20. The method, as in claim 13, further comprising the steps of: positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position thereby revealing the chamber; and exchanging the disc secured rotatably within the chamber with a replacement disc following the step of positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position, the replacement disc having pills pre-loaded therein. 